Luis Cetina

While Eastside City Council candidate Luis Cetina held a Thursday morning news conference to announce his endorsement by retiring Councilman Richard Alatorre, other candidates and consultants are unsure about the impact of the powerful lawmaker's backing. Some say that the veteran politician's support hurts Cetina's chances by linking him too closely to Alatorre. Voters, they say, have indicated that they are ready for a change in the Eastside district that Alatorre has represented for 14 years.

While Eastside City Council candidate Luis Cetina held a Thursday morning news conference to announce his endorsement by retiring Councilman Richard Alatorre, other candidates and consultants are unsure about the impact of the powerful lawmaker's backing. Some say that the veteran politician's support hurts Cetina's chances by linking him too closely to Alatorre. Voters, they say, have indicated that they are ready for a change in the Eastside district that Alatorre has represented for 14 years.

As The Times noted, the "14th District Bonanza" (editorial, March 31) will be quite a shootout. However, out of the 14 candidates vying to replace Richard Alatorre, I am left wondering why The Times chose to praise Victor Griego. Griego's career as a City Hall lobbyist makes me believe that he is just a hired gun. Moreover, it has been written that he moved into the district just to run for office. MARIO SOLIS MARICH Highland Park Of the four candidates you praised, only one sticks out, Nick Pacheco.

City Council candidate Victor Griego, who this week won the key backing of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, on Friday collected several more endorsements from opponents in last month's primary. Alvin Parra, the primary's third-place finisher, threw his support to Griego after interviewing him and Nick Pacheco, who placed first. The runoff election in June will decide who replaces veteran Eastside council member Richard Alatorre, who is retiring.

City Council candidate Victor Griego, who already has endorsements from several state and local politicians, picked up another one Wednesday, when Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina announced that she will support him. Molina, who met and interviewed many of the candidates in the 14th District, has said the decision was a particularly difficult one because she knew most of the candidates personally and has a high opinion of many of them.

Adding to the divided endorsements among state legislators in the crowded Eastside City Council race, Assemblyman Gil Cedillo said Monday that he is supporting Juan Jose Guttierez to replace Richard Alatorre in the 14 District. "I think Juan Jose is the most appropriate given his deep roots there, his fierce and unquestionable advocacy and commitment and given his skills set that I think will grow in that office," Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) said.

The city's largest union, the Service Employees International Union, endorsed political novice Luis Cetina on Monday in the crowded Eastside City Council race, elevating his candidacy to replace Richard Alatorre. The union endorsement, which came after the union was embarrassed last month when its own candidate failed to qualify for the ballot, is expected to boost Cetina's effort in which a dozen others are vying for the 14th Council District seat.

One of organized labor's leading candidates in the crowded race for the Eastside City Council seat apparently has failed to qualify for the ballot, the city clerk's office confirmed Tuesday. Late in the day, however, Jorge Mancillas' campaign workers were poring over nominating forms in hopes of discovering enough overlooked valid signatures to merit an appeal.

The crowded race for the Los Angeles City Council's Eastside seat could soon get a little narrower: Eight candidates have so far qualified for the spring ballot, leaving 11 others to wait up to 10 days to find out if they filed enough valid signatures to make the ballot. The race for the 14th District seat, which is being vacated by veteran Councilman Richard Alatorre, has become one of the most watched elections this spring, as it represents one of two open seats on the 15-member City Council.

Labor leader John A. Perez added his name to the growing list of candidates challenging incumbent Richard Alatorre for his seat on the Los Angeles City Council. Perez, the cousin of state Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles), enters with a leg up on an already crowded field of candidates, some political analysts say. Perez said he has the support of Assemblyman Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) and several other state legislators and community leaders.